


An Angels Place

by IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics (faraandmera)



Series: The Undramatic Lives Of Fictional Creatures [7]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Can be read on its own, Fantasy, Friendship, angel hyunwoo aka bird hyunwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 13:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8402869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faraandmera/pseuds/IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics
Summary: Hyunwoo doesn’t hate demons. Angels are supposed to, so Hyunwoo follows their rules because he fears being cast out, sent down to survive amongst humans, but doesn’t agree.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Version: iamashamedofmyfanfics.tumblr.com/post/147729189295/an-angels-place
> 
> originally written in july
> 
> the last backstory entry in the series.

Angels are supposed to guide human souls to the afterlife and their eventual rebirth. This is something Hyunwoo knows very well, because he is one. His life is dedicated this this. It’s Hyunwoo’s responsibility, his purpose. Find and guide lost souls to the demons who will do the rest. Though humans assume demons and angels live constantly fighting against each other, the truth is they work together more often than not. It _is_ true, however, that demons and angels tend to hate each other.

Hyunwoo doesn’t hate demons. They do their jobs, he does his, and they’re on the same side, really, aren’t they? At least they are as far as he- and really, logic- are concerned. Other angels don’t agree, though. Maybe it’s because spaces demons inhabit make angels weak, maybe because the opposite is true. Either way he’s told to associate with demons as little as possible. Told being to friendly with them could get him in trouble. Hyunwoo follows their rules because he fears being cast out, sent down to survive amongst humans, but doesn’t agree.

There’s a demon named Kihyun who Hyunwoo interacts with a lot due to Kihyun guarding the place where Hyunwoo delivers souls. Hyunwoo never get’s further than where Kihyun is- the demons takes the soul from that point- but because of that they know each other in passing.

It’s Kihyun that finds Hyunwoo when another demon makes an effort to drag Hyunwoo down. Angels wings are very important; without them an angel can end up anywhere from becoming what is basically human to outright dying. Hyunwoo’s wings feel weak on his back when he lands face-first on the ground.

“Are you dead?” Kihyun asks, leaning down while Hyunwoo tries to push himself away from the ground.

“Not quite.”

“What happened?” Kihyun helps Hyunwoo sit up and makes a noise of slight surprise Hyunwoo isn’t even sure he’s aware of. “You’re losing feathers.”

“I am?” He is, Hyunwoo notices when he pulls one of his wings forward to look. That’s not a good thing. In fact Hyunwoo may be slightly freaking out about it when he processes this fact.

There are words traded about what happened; Hyunwoo saying all he really knows: that demons caused him to fall so close to demon territory. Kihyun reminds Hyunwoo that being so close to it isn’t doing Hyunwoo any favors and helps the other away. 

Hyunwoo doesn’t realize it until later, when he’s back in angel territory, that Kihyun had left his post to help Hyunwoo. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that’s a problem. Demons have just as strict rules when it comes to angels as angels do about demons.

“I hear that demon that helped you got cast out.” Hyunwoo is told, and he can’t help but feel guilty.

A demon living amongst humans main issue is the lack of human identification and proof of existence they have. It’s difficult to find homes or jobs if you don’t have any proof you can be trusted with those things, so Hyunwoo isn’t surprised when he finds Kihyun in desperate need of those things. Hyunwoo has never cared about the demon and angel ‘being enemies’ thing and he certainly doesn’t want someone that helped him to suffer for it. So he uses some- for humans- illegal means to get Kihyun identification.

“How’s being 'human’ going?” Kihyun jumps, turning around. Hyunwoo probably should have made his presence more known before he spoke, he realizes.

“Shitty.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s my own fault.”

“It would probably help if you had actual identification.”

“Probably.” Kihyun pauses, as if waiting for something. “Did you want something?”

“No, but I conveniently have a fake ID with your name on it.”

Kihyun takes it without argument, to Hyunwoo’s surprise. With that done Hyunwoo feels better. Feels less guilty. Maybe helping someone for your own peace of mind wasn’t a good thing, but the result was the same either way. Both with that, and with Hyunwoo getting caught. Angels didn’t like other angels interacting with demons even if said demons had been cast out by other demons. Basically, Hyunwoo thinks, it makes no sense and is generally confusing.

If it makes sense or not doesn’t stop the fact that it’s true. Hyunwoo is cast out, dropped down into the human world carelessly, with barely any warning.

 

Hyunwoo expects to have to collect himself and try to live in the human world. To deal with his wings losing feather that he hopes will return once the initial shock of 'falling’ wears off. To have to find his own way through things on his own. 

Instead he’s greeted by a concerned person- at first glance they seem human- who questions if he’s alright.

“Are you alright, wing-guy?” Hyunwoo blinks, the person- tall and what can only be described as lanky- looks like they regret their words.

“You can see them?“

"Yes?”

“You’re… not human,” Hyunwoo notes.

“Correct.” He laughs. “You either.”

“Right.” Hyunwoo shifts and stands, knowing his wings are a mess.

The person is Hyungwon. It’s through further conversation that Hyunwoo learns his name. Even further conversation reveals that Hyungwon is a plant spirit. Hyunwoo doesn’t know a lot about them, but he’s heard of plant spirits. Human-looking beings that have a deep connection to plants both in spirit and physical attributes. Though they can look perfectly human, they have a tendency to sprout flowers or other plants from themselves. Hyunwoo himself would look more obvious to humans, though, if they could see his wings. Thought humans can’t, so they’re about the same when it comes to that.

Hyungwon introduces Hyunwoo to a household full of other beings that are very much not human. All of which accept Hyunwoo into their home and friendship more easily than he would have expected.

Of course to start with there’s Hyungwon, who appears to be perpetually exhausted. Hyunwoo learns this is due to how plant spirits work and a lack of sun- and maybe a little just general personality- and tries to make sure the other isn’t depriving himself of sun too often.

In turn there’s the other plant spirit. Hoseok was apparently- in part- the one taking care of the others if only because no one else was. With Hyunwoo’s arrival he relaxes a bit and it’s easy for Hyunwoo to notice just how tired the other is. That Hoseok is just as deprived of sun and energy during the winter. Hyunwoo makes a decision to try and find some alternative for the two. He does in sun lamps, and when he returns with them Hoseoks’ face lights up at the realization.

Hoseok thanks Hyunwoo for weeks, but honestly it gave Hyunwoo peace of mind so it wasn’t something worth thanking him for.

“I haven’t had this much energy in winter since… ever? Man artificial sunlight is the best human invention in the world.”

“So it was a good idea.”

“Yeah it was! Thanks, by the way.”

“You already thanked me.”

“Well thanks again! I can actually do stuff, _in the winter,_ how amazing is that?”

 

While Hyunwoo learns pretty quickly how to deal with the plant spirits, Jooheon is another story. Being that Jooheon is a ghost- the spirit of a dead human- Hyunwoo doesn’t know what to do. Somehow he feels guilty. An angel’s job is to guide human souls to the afterlife. Yet there Jooheon is, stuck in the place he died for years. Decades even.

But when Hyunwoo apologizes Jooheon waves it off, says its fine. Says that this way he’s met cool people, so it was worth it. Was being on your own for so long and dead really worth that? Hyunwoo wonders if Jooheon would prefer to move on. To be reborn.

“No.” The statement is so simple. “I’d forget everything. I may not be ecstatic about being dead, but I like knowing all of you. I’ve been here this long, and now things are better than before, so no. I’m fine.”

“Alright.” If Jooheon is happier as he is, then Hyunwoo will leave him be. It would be dangerous for Hyunwoo to try and move Jooheon anyway. Jooheon has been there for years, attached to the apartment he died in, and Hyunwoo was cast out, he’s not supposed to go back. So for both of there sake, it’s for the best.

“Besides I like scaring the neighbors sometimes.”

“Horrible.”

“Am I?”

“A little.”

 

On what could be called the opposite end of the spectrum of after-death experiences, is Minhyuk. Though Minhyuk a werewolf, born within the years he looks like he was born in if a human were to guess, he’s also someone to remembers being reborn. Hyunwoo wasn’t aware, but he learns from Minhyuk that werewolves remember their past lives. Minhyuk remembers his. Remembers dying and says that when he eventually dies again, he hopes he can remember again and come back to everyone. Or end up as a ghost and do the same as Jooheon.

“If I die do you think I’ll be reborn again? Or maybe I’ll be a ghost!”

“Since I’m here, you might become a ghost.”

“Cool.”

“You’d be okay with that?”

“I’d get to stay with all of you, wouldn’t I?” Hyunwoo can’t really argue with that. Especially since he himself finds that he’s okay with his situation, entirely because of the people he’s with now.

“That’s true.”

 

The last of his housemates is Changkyun; a vampire who Hyunwoo finds puts more value on human life than some of them. Hyunwoo dealt with dead humans for so long- his entire life- that it’s hard to see importance in the lives of humans. In contrast Changkyun refuses to so much as hurt a human, relying on blood packs for survival, and it makes Hyunwoo think. Maybe his morals are too far from a humans to really understand it.

_“Wouldn’t it be easier to hunt?”_ Changkyun repeats the question Hyunwoo asked him back. “No. I don’t like it, for one, and I’m not actually any stronger than a human most of the time.”

“I see.”

“Besides, I’d feel bad.” There’s a pause. “You don’t have to understand it. Human life means something to me specifically, but you’re not human so I don’t think anyone can expect it to mean the same to you.”

Hyunwoo can’t really argue with that, but he still feels like human life should mean a little more to him.

 

Though maybe he shouldn’t be, Hyunwoo is really surprised when Kihyun shows up. All but bursts into their the apartment and yells at Hyunwoo for getting himself cast out.

“You wasted my help!”

“I’m sorry.”

But then Hyunwoo introduces him to the others and Kihyun ends up staying with them as well.

 

Though some part of Hyunwoo would like to claim so, not all of their conversations are filled with deep meanings. In fact, it’s mostly horrible jokes or half-hearted accusations.

The longer he spends with them, the more he falls into patterns. Listening to their terrible jokes, adding subtle jokes of his own in as well. The longer he’s with them the more Hyunwoo finds himself not minding that he was cast out. When he does mind, when the stress of the past catches up with him, they’re always there to remind him it’s fine. To remind him he has this now.

“Honestly, are we sure you’re not a bird?” Minhyuk laughs. Hyunwoo finds that his wings are not only central to his life, but also helpful to making him feel safe. So Minhyuk idly runs his hands over Hyunwoo’s feathers and Hyunwoo feels calmer for it. The others will do so as well. Jooheon is excluded being a ghost and all, he usually forgets that Hyungwoo is one of the only people he can physically interact with.

“That explains the bread,” Changkyun mutters from a seat to the side of the room. Hyunwoo brings bread back a lot because it’s the easiest thing to get a hold of. Apparently that was joke worthy for his housemates.

“Caw.” The word comes out so monotone that it manages to make them both laugh.

“You gotta be a little more enthusiastic than that,” Hosoek chimes, clearing his throat. “Like: _Caw!”_

“Caw.” Hyunwoo’s tone doesn’t change at all.

“Now you’re just mocking me.”

“How did you know?”

“Isn’t cawing for crows? I don’t think crow suits him.” Is Jooheon’s addition to the conversation.

“Maybe _'chirp’_ then? Like, those small fluffy birds,” Hyungwon hums, “I think that suits him.”

“Chirp.” Hyunwoo is purposefully low in his tone.

“You’re voice is naturally higher than that,” Kihyun kicks his legs as he passes Hyunwoo. “Raise your tone.”

“Chirp.” He uses his natural voice, which true to that is a little higher, but it makes little difference.

“Guys, real talk,” Changkyun starts, “Why are we so focused on this?”

“My bird noises are very important.”

“…You know what, I suddenly realize why I can’t interact with humans. You guys are weird. You ruined me,” Minhyuk would sound more convincing if he wasn’t laughing the entire time he says so.

This was a weird place to end up. Hyunwoo thinks that, even this conversation aside, he’d ended up in a strange place. 

Angels are supposed to guide human souls to the afterlife and their eventual rebirth. Hyunwoo is friends with a ghost. Angels are supposed to hate demons, one of his housemates and savior is a demon. Angels are supposed to be all but dead when they get cast out, Hyunwoo feels more alive now then he ever did guiding the dead. Maybe it didn’t make sense, maybe how much such simple things affected him didn’t make sense.

But when Minhyuk and Jooheon laugh at something, when Kihyun pretends to not be as amused by it, when Hoseok covers his mouth to hold back laughter, when Hyungwon makes a terrible joke, or Changkyun adds something to a comment that makes the whole thing sound more like a joke, when Hyunwoo finds himself as a part of this strange group of people; a bunch of subtle things come together to make Hyunwoo really glad he’s there.

This wasn’t a place for angels. Yet it is a place Hyunwoo felt like he should be.


End file.
